The Slits : Love and Romance
If punk was more about attitude than musical ability then The Slits may have been the punkiest punk band the U.K. ever unleashed upon the world. The Slits were made up of guitarist Viv Albertine, drummer Palmolive, bassist Tessa Pollitt and German vocalist Ari Up, who was John Lydon's 15 year old stepdaughter. On August 5, 1977 The Slits were filmed at The Vortex. They're raw. To the point where maybe you have to admire their chutzpah for just going on stage and giving it everything they've got. Ari Up would also make history for peeing on this very stage. Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren liked what he saw. John Peel caught their early bass-heavy sound in a September Peel session.
By the time The Slits recorded their first album, the legendary Cut, they has traded their finest songwriter, Palmolive, for a tighter drummer and a more polished sound.
Viv Albertine's biography is a really good read.
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